Chapter 24

As Bikki and Company made their way out of Khamdo City, it swiftly became apparent that the Komodo Rhinos could not keep up with Ayai, the swift-footed Reindeer-Goat was just plain faster than the mounts that were brought from the Fire Nation Proper. Meanwhile, while the Wolf-Squirrels that the Tsenpo had provided were fleeter of foot than the Komodo Rhinos, they were nowhere near as surefooted as either the Komodo Rhinos or Ayai. The whole procession must have looked like a motley collection of vagabonds to anyone watching on.

However, the group managed to make their way past the Tsenpo's Eastern Smeltery. It was a large building near the foothills of the mountains that was crawling with idle workers. The many balconies that were meant to allow the steam and smoke from the smelters inside to vent to the outside were instead being used by the workers as sightseeing platforms. After all, without any ore from the mines, the forges inside couldn't be operated.

The Smeltery building itself had a small village that had grown up around the single, jutting, spire that had formed the initial lode of ore for the smeltery back in Namri Tsenpo's Father's Day. The ore of the lone mountain had since played out, but it had served to get the Smeltery off the ground and the Village of Nyeri had been built along the side and in the hollowed-out core of the Lone Mountain.

It was here they stayed the night before continuing on through the Khomsgompa Pass into the mountains. The pass would take a day to traverse before spitting them out in the Gyirong Valley. Then it would be a day trip up from Gyirong Town to the Mines to figure out what was going on with the supposed Snow Lion attacks.

As they entered the town, however, Bikki noticed several eyes on them. One of the men, a bearded man in a Fire-Nation Style Kimono, though with Khamdo-style Embroidery, approached them. He was around General Iroh's age, though he looked no less hale and hearty for it.

"Greetings Lords. I am Dote Wangchuk, Lord of Nyeri Village, brother to Kalden Wangchuk, the Lord of Gyirong Town. How can I help you?" Questioned the Man, Dote.

"Your brother is the Lord here?" Queried General Iroh.

"Indeed My Lords. Our family has been retainers to the Dorje Family since before the Air Nomads were wiped out. We have administered Nyeri Village since it was founded, and have administered Gyirong Town for longer." Nodded Dote.

"Excellent, then perhaps you will be able to direct us to the inn which has the best tea?" Asked General Iroh, causing Prince Zuko to sigh.

"Of course, My Lords. That would be the Saffron Lemur, its sister establishment in Gyirong town is the Joyful Cranefish, the families that run both establishments married into each other some years ago. You will find no finer establishments this side of the Eastern Air Temple, I assure you." Answered Dote.

"I see. Can you direct us to this establishment?" Asked General Iroh.

"Of course, if you will follow me, My Lords?" Agreed Dote.

They followed, but Bikki was only keeping half an ear and one eye on the entire conversation. His eye had been drawn more closely to a girl who had been sitting in an alcove on a porch. She carried herself like a Warrior, which was what had drawn Bikki's eye. He had been forced to pay full attention to the conversation as Dote began to lead their group toward the Inn that General Iroh asked for. When he had turned back to check on the girl, she was gone.

Bikki frowned but refrained from saying anything. This Village was apparently full of Dorje retainers even if the Smeltery belonged to Namri Tsenpo. To air his suspicions in the open would invite attack, and that was something to be avoided.

After all, since when does the Lord of a Village greet travelers on foot? True they weren't just any travelers, but Bikki didn't believe that the Wangchuk Brothers would have known of their travel time, especially since they had been forced to constantly modify their pace owing to the differing speeds of their mounts. They may have even arrived after sunset, or possibly even earlier than they did. There wasn't any real way to know. Plus with vanishing warriors and Dhundup Dorje's history of seditious plots, well it sounded an awful lot like they might be walking into a stronghold of rebellion.

There wasn't anything truly pointing to it just yet. All Bikki had was supposition and circumstantial observations, but he figured it best to be ready just in case. As they were led through the Village toward a rather gaudily painted Inn with an attached stable for their mounts, Bikki couldn't help but notice how most of the people here were younger children or older folks. It was almost like all their fighting-age people were elsewhere.

"Here we are my Lords, the Saffron Lemur! Enjoy!" Grinned Dote.

Stable boys who were literal boys came to help stable the group's mounts, but Bikki waved them away, drawing a curious look from General Iroh. Bikki shook his head and simply responded, "Ayai knows me. She does not know them."

"Indeed. I suppose it might be best to leave you to it, then." Smirked General Iroh.

"Better him than you two. Trust me, I know from experience." Sniffed Fei-Yan at the two stable boys.

"Don't mind him. He's just terrible with animals." laughed Deniigi.

"I am not. Not with most animals, that beast, however, is a menace." Protested Fei-Yan.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." Teased Deniigi.

"Come on. Let's leave Bikki to it. The sooner we get to rest, the sooner we can continue our trip." Grumbled Prince Zuko.

Dote led the others inside as Bikki moved to stable Ayai. The Reindeer-Goat let out a plaintive whine and blew a puff of air out of her nose as he did. Bikki got to brushing her coat with a hum to calm her down.

"You feel it too, don't you, Girl? Something's afoot here." Murmured Bikki, softly.

"Meeehp." Responded Ayai in her flanged voice.

"Yeah. I suppose we'll just have to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, then won't we?" Nodded Bikki as he brushed.

Ayai just snorted at that, blowing another puff of air out of her nostrils as she did so. Bikki couldn't help but crack a grin at that. He knew when Ayai was being sarcastic, after all, they'd been together since they were both very small. He shook his head and untangled a patch of fur that had become knotted after the day's ride gently.

"Yeah, I suppose you have a point there." Chuckled Bikki.

Soon enough, however, Bikki had Ayai brushed down fully, settled into a stable with fresh hay, and had a feedbag of barley and greens strapped on, along with fresh water for drinking. He gave Ayai one last pat on her flank before exiting the stable with a nod.

"I'll see you in a bit, Girl." He promised.

Ayai didn't respond, too busy munching on her greens and barley, happy as could be now that she had some proper food. Bikki simply chuckled at that, made a mental note to return in a few hours and remove the empty feedbag. Then he headed into the Saffron Lemur proper. In his haste to speak to the others about his suspicions, however, Bikki missed the Girl from earlier watching him from across the street.

With a puzzled frown, the Girl shook her head and made her way down the road, heading out of town and east for the Khomsgompa Pass. . .

XXXX

It was a few hours later, after the sun had been set for an hour already when Bikki managed to gather General Iroh, Prince Zuko, Fei-Yan, and Deniigi together for a debriefing session. He'd had time to eat dinner, check on Ayai, and sit through one of General Iroh's songs and it had still taken him another forty-five minutes to gather everyone up. Once he had, however, he could share his suspicions.

"Now, what was so urgent that you could not wait for me to finish my conversation with the lovely Madame Amala?" Questioned General Iroh.

"Uncle, please never say something like that around me again." Deadpanned Prince Zuko.

"Oh, come now, Prince Zuko. You are old enough to know how men and women act when in an intimate setting. Actually, come to think of it, I am not sure if my brother would have given you the talk. He always did tend to shy away from such things, after all." Mused General Iroh.

"Uncle, please!" Hissed Prince Zuko.

"Yes, please, General. I could live my entire life without needing to hear of your or the Fire Lord's, Love Life." Insisted Bikki.

"Suit yourself. I assure you it was every bit as epic as you could imagine." Grinned General Iroh.

"Anyway! Now that we're moving on from that topic, how about you tell us why you've gathered us together?" Exclaimed Deniigi, changing the subject.

"Yes, I am a bit curious myself, though I'm sure it has to do with the odd lack of fighting-age people in the Village." Agreed Fei-Yan.

"That's part of it, yes. Think about it, this village has to be large enough to fit five thousand people in it, maybe more. However, we haven't seen anyone of fighting age on the way in. Also, think about what Dote Wangchuk said, this is Dorje country, plus why was he there to greet us? He couldn't have known when we would be arriving, not when we didn't know ourselves. A lord has better things to do than stand waiting at the village entrance all day. I also caught sight of a Girl maybe a year or two older than I am. She carried herself like a Warrior which caught my attention and she was watching us. I turned away from her for a moment only for her to be gone when I turned back." Laid out Bikki.

"She could just be shy." Pointed out Fei-Yan.

"Unlikely. I know a swordsman's gait when I see one. I have one myself." Refuted Bikki.

"I suppose that makes sense, but the rest of it? I don't know." Frowned Deniigi.

"It does seem odd, the village being so empty." Allowed General Iroh.

"There were plenty of people of fighting age at the Smeltery, though." Tried Deniigi.

"Those were the Tsenpo's Workers in the Tsenpo's Smeltery. If something's going on, there would need to be enough workers at the Smeltery to keep up appearances. The Tsenpo sends magistrates to check on the Smeltery every week or so, or at least, he should be doing so if he's keeping to regulations." Retorted Prince Zuko.

"He is. Namri Tsenpo knows better than to tempt your father to assume direct control of Khamdo. It is likely why he has sent us to deal with the supposed Snow Lion attacks in the mines. He knows if he falls short on tribute, then your father will likely use it as a pretext to force him into a stricter vassal contract. If it happens more than once, he may even decide that keeping the Tsenpo around is more trouble than it is worth and assume direct control of Khamdo via the Colonial Administration." Pointed out General Iroh.

"If these are even Snow Lion attacks. Something tells me that Bikki has a theory." Mused Fei-Yan.

"I do. It's just a theory at the moment, but I think maybe Dhundup Dorje is funding a rebel group in his fiefdoms. Think about it, why would a Snow Lion attack Random Miners? If anything, you would expect one to attack Fire Nation merchants or the Tsenpo's Patrols. Attacking Miners who are only doing their jobs isn't the act of a Spirit. Not one like a Snow Lion that embodies the defense of Khamdo." Hedged Bikki.

"Bikki is correct. However, I can think of one person who does benefit from attacking Random Miners." Nodded General Iroh.

"Dhundup Dorje. He might be thinking that if he forces enough of a delay on the Tribute, he can get my Father to replace Namri Tsenpo with him." Blinked Prince Zuko.

"It makes a certain degree of sense. Snow Lion attacks halt the ore to the smeltery, which causes the Tribute of War Material to fall short by a quarter. The Fire Lord investigates and there's Dhundup Dorje, who promises that if the Fire Lord deposes Namri Tsenpo and installs him as the new Tsenpo, then he can make the tribute problems disappear." Mused Fei-Yan.

"That's diabolical." Muttered Deniigi.

"And if this were Fire Lord Azulon, it might even work. Fire Lord Ozai, however, isn't exactly a merciful sort." Frowned Bikki.

"True. My Brother is just as likely to purge the entire administration as he is to agree to work with Dhundup Dorje. After all, with someone that treacherous, you would never know if he was planning to betray you as well down the line." Intoned General Iroh.

"So far these are all just theories, though." Protested Deniigi.

"We'll find out soon enough. For now, there's nothing we can do about it. Not until we reach the Mines." Insisted Prince Zuko.

"Agreed. We shouldn't let on that we know anything just yet. Best not to tip our hand too soon. I may not be the best at Pai Sho, but even I know that much." Agreed Bikki.

"Then I suppose we ought to head back down to the common room and have a few more drinks. We've been up here almost too long already for the locals not to think something's up." Advised Fei-Yan.

And with that, the group made their way back down to the Common Room of the Saffron Lemur. Another pot of tea and several trays of snacks were ordered as they attempted not to let on that they suspected the locals were aiding Dhundup Dorje in treason that was just as likely to get everyone killed as it was to work out for the conspirators. Bikki didn't spot any tells that people might have caught onto them as they sat, drank tea, and snacked.

They went to bed around three hours later, hoping to still be there in the morning instead of captured by rebels. . .

XXXX

Bikki and the others woke up after eight hours still in their beds at the Saffron Lemur and not bound or gagged facing down armed locals. That, Bikki felt, meant they had successfully thrown the Dorje Men off their trail. They collected their belongings, paid their bill, mounted up, and headed out of Nyeri Village.

As they headed east through the Khomsgompa Pass, Bikki couldn't shake the feeling that there were still eyes on them, watching and waiting for them to slip up or head for the Mines. Nothing happened for the majority of the day, however. Travel was long, and they had to be on their guard in case of landslides or other hazards of the Khamdo Mountains and the passes thereof, but nobody attacked them as they traveled.

Furthermore, all the mounts but the Wolf-Squirrels could move across the mountainous terrain of the pass as if they were still on the plains. Ayai was sure-footed and hardy, like all Reindeer-Goats, and the Komodo Rhinos were surprisingly adept climbers, though given they were lizards, that likely shouldn't have come as a shock to Bikki. Even the Wolf-Squirrels had their advantages, as while they were not as sure-footed, they could easily jump over obstacles on the path instead of climbing over them as the other mounts could.

It was just as they were about to exit the Khomsgompa Pass when the first signs of something not quite right happened. A roaring screech like an unearthly beast crying out, echoed through the Khomsgompa Pass. Bikki wasn't certain what a Snow Lion was supposed to sound like, but he imagined it was supposed to sound something like that. General Iroh, however, kept his air of nonchalance even as Bikki was beginning to consider if his theory was wrong, and the others cringed at the noise, including Prince Zuko.

By the time they made it out of the Khomsgompa Pass and began moving down into the Gyirong Valley toward the large town in the distance, however, the sun was starting to set. General Iroh turned to the group and gave them a wink.

"You were correct, Bikki. That roar was no true spirit. Have you heard of a Bullroarer? It is a type of instrument that used to be used in the lands of the Air Nomads. It sounded just like that, though I imagine that the sound was amplified by the mountain acoustics somewhat. We should be able to make it to Gyirong town without fear of having to race the sun to avoid a Snow Lion arriving after dark." He informed.

Then, General Iroh turned around and kicked his Komodo Rhino back into gear. The mount began moving forward again and Bikki, Prince Zuko, Deniigi, and Fei-Yan followed after him on their mounts. They made it to Gyirong town just as the sun was about to fully set.

Tomorrow, they would see just what sort of opposition they faced in the mines. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, here's the next chapter. I told you something fishy was going on that didn't necessarily involve spirits. That isn't to say there are no Snow Lions left in Khamdo, however, just that there aren't any here.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve the Group actually going to the Gyirong Mines and checking them out.

Stay tuned. . .